My garden club ladies all came over to my garden last Saturday as the first garden in our member's garden ramble so was really pleased to have them over to visit - I had a busy tidy up before they came of course!
Paula one of the newer members took home some cuttings and it was fun just talking about plants. I didn't know Paula was going to enthuse about the ones that grow like weeds at my place - mugwort, applemint, watsonia... The ladies were also puzzled over dad's weather station. No it wasn't a beehive! I showed them what it had inside - thermometers and that the land was earmarked for recording the weather which was why I can only have a little garden in the backyard and no tall trees.
Then we went to Bev's place and her garden was just so beautiful a flower and plant lovers paradise. She had a little octagonal gazebo/potting shed full of plants on the shelves and a cosy place to sit, so many hanging baskets, flowers all around many levels from pots to planters to raised beds, some trained up the wall, some trailing to the ground, and no weeds whatsever, they didn't stand a chance! The only thing she complained about was a big melia tree in the backyard that was shading out some of her vege garden but I gave it a hug as I thought it was beautiful and shouldn't be cut down - the vege garden should just be moved to the sunnier spot where the sheds were.
Bev gifted us some potted colour so I chose a marigold and a verbena that she'd placed under her potted Christmas tree already decorated outside. Yes it is now that time of year. I hadn't even thought of decorating any trees yet.
Just up the next street was Barbara's place in Wairata Road which had a stunning view of the creek and out to the harbour. Barbara had commandered the land that belonged to the council and had started gardening it so it was all seamless right up to the walking track that leads up to Roberts Road. So many beautiful flowers, carpets of arctosis and healthy stands of lush red cannas, sweet peas, succulents and shrub borders completed the picture. Barbara's house was quite a big home - her late husband was a builder, and so it was all built to take advantage of the site and nestled into the land. His ashes were buried near the vege patch so it's not likely she will ever leave his final resting place.
We had a morning tea and scones and a good chat. Barbara wished us a Merry Christmas on her ukelele which she had been practising and Jeanette won a prize in the raffle - gardening soap!
The final garden in our mini ramble was newcomer Paula's - she'd told hubby to take the dog out for a walk while we humans roamed her patch. Paula's place in Tirimoana is down a long driveway and backs on to a gully where the creek is. She's got many trees and bromeliads, succulents and the prized tall astromerias (I took a tuber) She also has quirky hobbit holes - she's a real plant lover too and we all found something to ooh and ah over. Am so glad Paula decided to join our Garden Club as membership is falling - its the same everywhere I suspect. People don't have time for gardens anymore and its harder and harder to find places with room enough for one.
Unfortunately it was then that my hayfever decided to make itself known and I had to drop into the pharmacy on the way back for a remedy!
In other news Pat and Sheryl had entered the AHC Flower show. Pat won as per usual! Karen and I went to gawk at the entries and I adopted some more mini irises.
Two of the entries I liked were these:
Sand art mandala
Piano with roses - see entries all lined up in the background